Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Rave on. It's a crazy feeling.

People always tell me I was born in the wrong decade. I disagree. I was born at just the right time. If I had been my age in the twenties, I wouldn't have had the freedom I have now. It seems like only flappers were daring enough to wear sexy clothes and I'm not sure I'd have had the courage to be as flamboyant as a flapper. If I'd been my age in the thirties, I would have had to deal with the Great Depression. We're having bad times now, but at least I have a job and nice clothes, good food, and a nice bed to sleep in. While it would have been lovely to see Fred and Ginger on the big screen, I wouldn't want that to be an escape. I like it being integrated into my ordinary life. If I'd been my age in the forties, we'd be in the middle of a war. I'd possibly be working in a factory or a plant or something. Though I think I'd be up to the challenge, I'm sure I wouldn't enjoy it much. If I'd been my age in the fifties, I'd have to go through the McCarthyism and that just annoys me. Nope, I'm happy living now - where I can enjoy the nice parts of the past: the movies, the music, the fashion - without having to deal with the drama and the difficulties.

But, I do wish we could bring some of the fun back into fashion. Why can't there be more sock hops where I can dance to good old fashioned oldies? Or a cocktail party where I can sport a fancy cocktail dress? Or a nightclub where we go and watch a few performers and then dance a little to a live band? Wouldn't that be swell? Wouldn't that be keen?

These are the things I wish were still around. I don't wish for the ideas that women should be housewives and movies should be censored. As a society, I think we're smarter now. We're getting a little more open-minded, a little more accepting of people. It's a slow process, but we're getting there. I like living today, where I can date whoever I want, no matter what race, religion, creed (or, for that matter, gender, where I so inclined), without having to ask for my father's permission. I'm glad I can wear dresses that go above my knees without being scandalous. I like having electricity, my own car, the internet. I have a fabulous collection of movies dating from the 20s to the 60s and multiple playlists on my iPhone that I take with me wherever I go. It's nice living today!

But, having all of the movies, the books, the music at my fingertips, only makes me yearn for the old-fashioned things to make a come back. It seems that whenever we try to bring these sorts of things back, it's stagey. It's all costume parties and older people being nostalgic. I suppose it's only a pipe dream, but I think it would be neat if these sorts of things could creep back into fashion naturally. We could go to sock hops without having to wear poodle skirts and scarves. We could listen to big bands and not be the only young people in the room.

2 comments:

I think many of us share your pining for the bygone era of Hollywood, but I agree with you--it seems like a wonderful time to have lived in, but there were probably many downsides, especially if you happened to be female and/or black and/or gay and/or Jewish. I liked-didn't-love Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" but I did keenly appreciate the point he made about people from each era always looks back at a previous time with one-eyed envy. Every era has its advantages and disadvantages, doesn't it?

About Me

I love old movies, old music, old fashion. I'm an avid reader of children's books and a firm believer in happy endings. I love to ballroom dance and if I could find someone to lift me over a fence like Fred Astaire lifts Ginger Rogers in "Pick Yourself Up," then I'd be set.